Anyone else think it is a little weak that AJ is sitting out the last game of the season against a righty with the division on the line?

He is 151 for 504 on the year, which is a batting average of .2996, which will round up on his baseball card.

Not exactly a Ted Williams situation.

SoxGirl4Life

10-04-2009, 01:37 PM

Anyone else think it is a little weak that AJ is sitting out the last game of the season against a righty with the division on the line?

He is 151 for 504 on the year, which is a batting average of .2996, which will round up on his baseball card.

Not exactly a Ted Williams situation.
Its also a day game after a night game. Sitting AJ is a pretty ordinary occurrence in that situation.

TDog

10-04-2009, 01:56 PM

Its also a day game after a night game. Sitting AJ is a pretty ordinary occurrence in that situation.

It's the last game of the season. He didn't need to sit to remain sharp.. Pierzynski didn't play at all in the doubleheader this week and had some time off with the off-day and rainout.

The game doesn't mean anything to the Sox. It's in such circumstances, it's quite common for the manager to go to a veteran and ask him if he wants to play. If he were hitting .299 and needed a hit to get to .300, he would have played and come out if he got a hit.

I don't think it's weak for Pierzynski to sit out.

LITTLE NELL

10-04-2009, 01:58 PM

AJ will be the first catcher in Sox history to bat .300.

soxnut1018

10-04-2009, 01:58 PM

Anyone else think it is a little weak that AJ is sitting out the last game of the season against a righty with the division on the line?

He is 151 for 504 on the year, which is a batting average of .2996, which will round up on his baseball card.

Not exactly a Ted Williams situation.

:whocares

SoxGirl4Life

10-04-2009, 02:00 PM

It's the last game of the season. He didn't need to sit to remain sharp.. Pierzynski didn't play at all in the doubleheader this week and had some time off with the off-day and rainout.

The game doesn't mean anything to the Sox. It's in such circumstances, it's quite common for the manager to go to a veteran and ask him if he wants to play. If he were hitting .299 and needed a hit to get to .300, he would have played and come out if he got a hit.

I don't think it's weak for Pierzynski to sit out.

That's what I was trying to say :)

EMachine10

10-04-2009, 02:15 PM

The only thing I find weak is that Castro is playing over Flowers.

TDog

10-04-2009, 02:41 PM

The only thing I find weak is that Castro is playing over Flowers.

Castro is better offensively and defensively -- much better defensively. I would have been surprised to see Flower starting in a game that meant something for the opposition on the last day of the season.

I wouldn't be surprised if Beckham came out of the game because making another out would have put him below .270.

Soxfanspcu11

10-04-2009, 06:37 PM

The game is meaningless for the Sox, AJ has a chance to hit .300.

As another person posted here, he will be the first and only Sox catcher to bat .300.

I don't see a problem at all with AJ sitting out to protect that. Infact, I can not imagine anyone in the league, or anyone here for that matter not doing the same thing.

Now if the game mattered to the Sox at all, then yes of course I would have a problem with it but it doesnt so I say more power to him!

CONGRATS ON YOUR .300 SEASON AJ!!!! A HUUUUUGE ACCOMPLISHMENT!!!!! :bandance::gulp:

shes

10-04-2009, 06:47 PM

Anyone else think it is a little weak that AJ is sitting out the last game of the season against a righty with the division on the line?

He is 151 for 504 on the year, which is a batting average of .2996, which will round up on his baseball card.

Not exactly a Ted Williams situation.

Lol. For those that don't know, Ted Williams was hitting .3996 entering the last day of the season in 1941. Instead of sitting to preserve .400, he played both games of a DH and promptly gathered 6 hits.

An interesting note about that year: Williams drew 50 walks in August. 50! I think he also had 10 homers that month. Amazing.

JB98

10-04-2009, 07:19 PM

The game is meaningless for the Sox, AJ has a chance to hit .300.

As another person posted here, he will be the first and only Sox catcher to bat .300.

I don't see a problem at all with AJ sitting out to protect that. Infact, I can not imagine anyone in the league, or anyone here for that matter not doing the same thing.

Now if the game mattered to the Sox at all, then yes of course I would have a problem with it but it doesnt so I say more power to him!

CONGRATS ON YOUR .300 SEASON AJ!!!! A HUUUUUGE ACCOMPLISHMENT!!!!! :bandance::gulp:

I agree. The season is a waste, team-wise. Let A.J. have his individual accomplishment. For fans to be whining about this is extremely petty, IMO.

tacosalbarojas

10-04-2009, 07:26 PM

I agree with that it was day game after a night game standard operating procedure, but let's say he was sitting out to "protect" the .300 average. Do the math: if he goes 0-4 today, that would be 151 hits in 508 ABs...still pencils out to .300. It's a non-issue.

ilsox7

10-04-2009, 07:40 PM

I agree with that it was day game after a night game standard operating procedure, but let's say he was sitting out to "protect" the .300 average. Do the math: if he goes 0-4 today, that would be 151 hits in 508 ABs...still pencils out to .300. It's a non-issue.

May want to re-do your math . . . :D:

tacosalbarojas

10-04-2009, 08:25 PM

May want to re-do your math . . . :D:Just can't trust a calculator anymore....that one is going in the garbage!

lpneck

10-05-2009, 08:49 AM

I was the original poster, so I just want to clarify a few things...

I was not "whining" that AJ did not play. I don't necessarily blame him for not playing, especially considering his contract is up after next season.

That being said... let's say that the situation was reversed, and Joe Mauer sat out the final game of the season where we needed the Twins to beat another team in the division race because he was trying to hold on to a .360 batting average, I'm pretty sure there would be a 17 page thread about it on WSI.

Chez

10-05-2009, 12:04 PM

I don't fault A.J. at all for sitting out Sunday to protect his .300 average. Hitting .300 is quite an accomplishment. Five other major leaguers finished the season right at .300. Two of them (Carlos Lee and Justin Upton) played and were hitless on Sunday to finish right at .300. Two of them played on Sunday (Callaspo and Kubel) and raised their average to .300 -- Kubel's batting average isn't final until after tomorrow's game. Only one other player started the day on Sunday at exactly .300 -- Shin-Soo Choo. After going 2 for 4 on Saturday to get to .300, he didn't play on Sunday either.

JB98

10-05-2009, 12:10 PM

I was the original poster, so I just want to clarify a few things...

I was not "whining" that AJ did not play. I don't necessarily blame him for not playing, especially considering his contract is up after next season.

That being said... let's say that the situation was reversed, and Joe Mauer sat out the final game of the season where we needed the Twins to beat another team in the division race because he was trying to hold on to a .360 batting average, I'm pretty sure there would be a 17 page thread about it on WSI.

I'm confident there would not be. The Royals held Greinke out last year against the Twins, not wanting to run up his innings. There was some mild complaining, but no 17-page thread.

Bob G

10-05-2009, 12:42 PM

Obviously, Ozzie was resting AJ for the 2010 season

downstairs

10-05-2009, 01:30 PM

Not that it matters all that much, and congrats on a great season... but .29960 is not .300. He didn't get a hit in 1/3 of his AB's. That's the reality.

Still, I'm not so sure he sat out because of this. He's a catcher, maybe he was just aching and wanted to call it a season. Fair enough to me.

Marqhead

10-05-2009, 01:32 PM

Not that it matters all that much, and congrats on a great season... but .29960 is not .300. He didn't get a hit in 1/3 of his AB's. That's the reality.

Still, I'm not so sure he sat out because of this. He's a catcher, maybe he was just aching and wanted to call it a season. Fair enough to me.

If he had gotten a hit in 1/3 at bats he would be batting .333 :redneck

downstairs

10-05-2009, 01:33 PM

This is sorta funny: in 2002 he did bat .300. Exactly 300 on the nose.

440 ABs times .3 = 132 hits, which is exactly what he had.

And for those scoring at home- the last game he had 2 AB's no hits, and came out of the game once he was in danger of going under .300.

downstairs

10-05-2009, 01:35 PM

If he had gotten a hit in 1/3 at bats he would be batting .333 :redneck

Oops! Well, my point still stands... he didn't hit .300

Bruizer

10-05-2009, 02:00 PM

Oops! Well, my point still stands... he didn't hit .300

It'll go down in the stats as .300. They don't arbitrarily round down.